Our Lady of Fandom, Sunday

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel had heard that a lot of new people had arrived. One or two might even be religious. With some hope that someone might stop by today for his entertainment he put the usual note on the door:

Do-it-yourself Sunday Service

Then he went back to practising his lines for the play. He felt he was starting to find a good voice for them, one that would certainly make the audience shiver.

[The church is open]

Comments

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Miss Bennet was somewhat surprised to note there was not much of a procession to church. This paled in comparison to her astonishment that there were no other occupants of the church itself.

"Excuse me," she asked the gentleman inside the church. "Am I too late?"

Perhaps, on this island, services were particularly early.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Too late?" Gabriel looked up from the pages he was reading from. "That depends on what you were expecting." He looked at the woman with unmoving eyes. "You see, Elizabeth, I can't really answer that question." There was a tiny smile.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"For church service," Miss Bennet said, frowning slightly. "Excuse me, did Lady Atreides tell you I was coming here?"

It seemed far too impolite to admit in plain words that she didn't recognize the man at all.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Oh, the service!" Gabriel looked clearly amused. "Well, you can't be late for that. You just have to manage it yourself." His smile widened. "And no, she didn't."

Cat jumped down from the altar and slowly walked up to the visitor. Perhaps she had brought tuna.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Is there no vicar, at this parish?" Miss Bennet asked. "How long has it been without? Is it intended for someone just now taking his orders?"

She knelt to offer her fingers to the cat; it only seemed polite.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel shrugged. "People here doesn't seem to need one. I just hang around for now."

Cat sniffed her fingers, then sat down, tail curling around her legs.

[bedtime! SP?]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Is this island not God-fearing?" Eliza asked, staring at the man. "I had no idea the Colonies had rejected religion entirely."

(SP is love! Night!)

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Oh, they haven't, it's just this place." He looked oddly amused. "People seem to keep busy with other things. Perhaps they need someone to inspire them."

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"What is your position, here?" Eliza asked. "Does the Church know there is no vicar on this island?"

She glanced at him, considering. "If we are without, then you and I might hold service well enough ourselves."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Position?" He was the Angel of Death, after all. "Oh, you'll find out eventually. I don't think the Church cares much about this island. Or perhaps it's forgotten." He shrugged. "I can read from the Scriptures for you if you need it." He could always find some cheerful part.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"We could sing a hymn," Eliza suggested. "Is there an organ? I play, though not as well as I should."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"There's an odd instrument over there." Gabriel nodded towards the Silverodeon. "It's very forgiving." If she wanted to play hymns he could live with that, especially since it would upset Cat.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said, bowing her head slightly and looking in the pews for a hymnal. "Will you be singing, too?"

If so, she'd be sure to find two hymnals. Hymns were meant to be sung by more than one.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"I don't sing. I play the trumpet." Then his smile widened. "I tried to get someone to distribute the hymnals among the people on this island. She wasn't up for it." There were far too many of them in the church anyway.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Is your trumpet here?" Eliza asked, seating herself at the Silverodeon. "I've never played to trumpet accompaniment, but I'm quite amenable to it if you'll forgive me slurring the more difficult passages."

She eyed the contraption somewhat warily. "Possibly some of the easier ones, as well."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel just shrugged and picked up the trumpet from behind one of the pew. He blew a short sample from one of his apocalyptic fanfares. This time there was no breaking of windowpanes, but they were definitely shaking.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Eliza stared. "Well."

Finally, she roused herself to add more words to that. "We shan't ... lack for volume, shall we?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

The girl wasn't easily frightened, he had to admit. "You start," Gabriel said.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Very well," Eliza nodded, turning back to her instrument, hoping her composure was intact. "This one is titled 'Nearer, My God, To Thee.' Are you familiar with it, or will you be ... improvising?"

Perhaps they should perform without vocalizations, considering that his last blast had sounded somewhat cataclysmic, and that she had no idea how to play this instrument.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I know that one. They played it on the Titanic. Busy day." He blew the trumpet again. Cat hid under a pew.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Eliza was not familiar with the Titanic, and had a sudden conviction that she should be glad and not inquire further.

She placed her fingers carefully on what seemed to be the right keys, wondering what noise this odd contraption might expel.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

The Silverodeon gave a sound that resembled a pianoforte accompanied by an orchestra. Gabriel knew it could do more than that, of course, but he guessed the woman would feel comfortable with it. He hummed along with the first few lines of the hymn, then added a fanfare that made the windows shake.